In His Corner
by Monica-Ann
Summary: When Todd is accused of a crime no one thinks him capable of anymore, an unlikely group of people come together to defend him. NOTE: Published wrong chapter, first time around. Correct first chapter up.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was the look on his face that gave her her answer. It was not one of his usual expressions. In fact, she could only remember one other time she had seen it on him. It was an August night, in the presence of her mother, her brother, two of her aunts, John McBain and the man she had believed to be her father for eight years. When her mother had mentioned the house they were in and why it had been set up, the look on her father's face said it all. The look of pain and disgust and hurt was all she needed, truly, to know who he was.

That was the look he had on now. When the charge was being made, Todd Manning had that same expression on. It was a charge that was so vile to him she knew he would never go there again. Once, it had nearly destroyed him. And as self-destructive as her father could get, as self-destructive as he was now, she knew he would never go there again.

Starr did the only thing she could think of as those thoughts were rushing through her head. She ran. She needed to collect her thoughts, so she turned and left the police station. She looked back at him and saw the sadness settle on his features. He thought she was abandoning him as well. She smiled at him, trying to convey a message to him. He caught it and returned in. She opened the door and walked out of the station, trying to figure out where to turn next.

She couldn't go to Michael; his mother was her father's accuser. John McBain looked pleased to be arresting Todd, so he was out. And the picking got slimmer when she thought of the family back home. Jack and Dani ignored Todd's existence, her cousins wouldn't have been much help even if they liked him and her mother was too worried about Tomas' whereabouts to give her father a fourth thought. There was only one person who might help her and her father, but she was a long shot.

Starr pulled out her phone and scrolled through the contacts. Sending up a silent plea for help, she pushed send and waited.

The doorbell rang at Llanfair and, as there was no one else there, Victoria Lord Davidson answered it. She didn't see anyone straight away until a voice called out "Happy New Year, Aunt Viki!" Looking down, she saw her nephew, Sam Manning.

"And a Happy Yew Year to you too," she said, enveloping the little boy in a big hug. When she looked up again, she saw the boy's mother, Blair Cramer, approaching with a smile. "And Happy New Years to you too."

Blair returned the smile. "And to you as well. Sam wanted to drop off his present to you, so we figured we'd stop by. "

"Oh, well, thank you. I still have something under the tree for you too, Sam," Viki told him as he scampered off. The two women followed him and watched as he tore the paper off his gift. His smile seemed perfunctory, at best, but he was gracious when he hugged her again. "And did Santa bring you all the gifts you asked for?" she inquired.

"No," Sam said in reply. Viki looked to Blair and back at Sam as he continued. "I asked Santa to let Uncle Todd come home, but he didn't."

Viki turned to Blair, who took her son's hands. "Hey I told you that Uncle Todd is probably very busy. That was why he didn't come home." It was a lie that slipped off her tongue so easily, it didn't even break her heart.

"Hey, I think Lois has some fresh-baked cookies in the kitchen and some hot chocolate. Why don't you go and see her?" Viki offered. Sam let out a sigh and headed in that direction.

When they were sure he was out of earshot, Viki turned back to Blair. "He is still taking all this so hard," she said.

"Well, he still thinks Todd didn't do anything wrong. Todd is still the hero that saved him from the bad men," Blair disclosed. "He doesn't understand Todd killed his daddy or that Todd was responsible for Tea losing a baby he thought was his little brother. He's still too young to see the other side of Todd."

Viki didn't know how to respond to that, so she chose to ignore it. "How are you doing? Have you heard any word from Tomas?"

"No, and Dorian is still beating on Langley for information, but they aren't saying anything," Blair told her.

"Well, I heard from a friend in Harrisburg that the governor isn't very happy with Dorian's interest in that. I know she's doing it for you, but the feeling is that she's ignoring the needs of her constituents in favor of a personal matter," Viki told her.

"Well, I wish Dorian would drop it, if that's the case. Right now, Tea's the one making the most noise. I think she's even driving Skye a little crazy," Blair admitted.

"Well, Tomas is her brother, so it's natural she'd be worried," Viki replied. "Forgive me for saying this, but you don't seem too worried."

Blair caught herself and tightened her features as she answered, "Of course I'm worried. He disappears right before our wedding and then Todd conveniently shows up saying he's someone else, with Skye Chandler-Quartermaine and Carly Jacks parroting him? It is way too much for a coincidence, if you ask me."

Viki knew Blair well enough to see her putting on an act. She was about to say something about it when the phone rang. She walked over to the desk and answered it. "Llanfair, Viki Davidson speaking."

"Aunt Viki, thank god you picked up!" Starr said breathlessly.

"Starr, is something the matter?" Viki asked.

Her daughter's name caught Blair's attention. "What's wrong?" she asked, worry seeping in around her.

Viki held up her hand. "Starr, I'm going to put you on speakerphone. Your mother is here visiting."

"No, don't put Mom on. She won't be of any help and I really don't need her going on a tear about Dad," Starr responded, alarmed. She took another deep breath. "But I need your help. I don't have anyone else to turn to."

"Starr what happened? Is it something with your father?"

Sitting on a bench, on a pier in Port Charles, New York, Starr said a phrase she never dreamed would come out of her mouth. As calmly as she could manage, she said, "Dad's been accused of rape…and I don't think he did it and I need help."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Consciously, Viki knew her brother was capable of despicable deeds. She had known him enough years to roll through them in her head. Lying, kidnapping, even murder, he had done them all. And yet, that was one crime she could never see him do. Again.

Before she had known him as her brother, the product of her father's affair with her college roommate, she had known him as a friend and fraternity brother of her son Kevin. And it was in her kitchen that he, Kevin, Zach Rosen and Powell Lord, III had been arrested for the gang rape of Marty Saybrooke. She knew that side of him, the one that had painted Marty as having wanted it. It was a side she had not seen in Todd since those college days.

That was why, when Starr had made her plea for help, the accusation itself had not computed to Viki. Too much had happened, Todd had come too far. The specter of Victor Lord had reared its head and she knew it did not belong. She knew she needed to go and help Starr and him. But first, she had to get Blair out of Llanfair.

In a quiet tone, she said, "Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can. Stay calm, please, Starr." Her niece was thanking her when she ended the call.

"What is going one?" Blair asked, concern on her face.

"Nothing for you to worry about," Viki replied, hoping that Blair would drop it.

No such luck. "I heard Starr say rape. Was Todd…?" The thought was unfathomable.

"You have too much here to worry about," Viki reassured her. "I'm going to go up and see what Starr is talking about. I'm sure it was nothing." Yet Viki knew it was far from nothing.

"He didn't do it." The words came out of her mouth before her brain had time to process the thought. Her back straighten with resolve. "'I'm going with you."

"Blair, there is no need for you to go. You still have Tomas to worry about. Todd is no longer your concern," Viki tried to assuage her.

"I am going. He needs someone in his corner." Without another comment from the blond, she found Sam, got his coat on and headed towards the door. "I'm going to let Momma know that I'll be out of town, pack a bag and be back here in an hour. Don't leave without me."

Mercifully, Sam didn't talk a lot on the way home. When they got back to La Boulaie, she hurried upstairs, calling for Addie Cramer as she threw some things into a bag. Her mother appeared at her bedroom door. "Momma, I need to get to Port Charles. I should only be a few days. Can you keep an eye on the boys?"

"Of course, my dear. Oh, no, has something happened to Starr?" Addie asked, worriedly.

Again, without thinking, Blair said, "No, Todd's been accused of rape."

"He didn't do it," came Addie's firm response. There was no hesitation in her voice. "Todd would never do that again." She came over to her and put her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "You're going to be there to stand by him, aren't you?"

"I…need to be there for Starr. She's been through this too many times before," Blair tried to say.

"Bullshit." Her mother's comment shocked her. She could never remember a time when Addie Cramer had used such language. "You are going because Todd needs you. He's always needed you, even when he thought he didn't." She kissed her on the cheek. "Go be with the man you love and stand by him. He will need you most of all. Don't worry about the boys; I'll keep an eye on them." With that, she left her daughter.

Blair couldn't catch her breath. She closed her eyes and when she reopened them sought out her cell phone from her purse. Thumbing through the pictures, she found the one she was looking for. It helped her regain a sense of equilibrium. She stroked it again and went back to work packing her bag. That task done, she clicked the picture off, the image of her and Todd on their wedding day going dark.

Of course, when you need to get out of town in a hurry, it was only natural that Mother Nature would throw you a curveball in regards to the weather. The airline had said it was only going to be an hour delay, but it felt longer.

Viki took a few minutes to stretch her legs. When she returned, she noticed Blair was engrossed in something on her phone. She saw the younger woman looking sadly at a picture and then noticed what it was of. She came back to sit down next to her and asked in a near whisper, "Why did you agree to marry Tomas?"

Blair felt like she should jump at the question but her body made no such move. She looked back at the picture. "Because loving your brother has never not broken my heart. I couldn't do that again and Tomas seemed like the safer choice. Even after Todd proposed."

"Todd proposed?" Viki had never heard this.

Blair put the phone away and turned to the other woman. "When I went to see Starr perform in July, we had dinner afterwards and Todd thought…Todd thought that because Tomas wasn't with me that I had broken up with him. We kissed and he proposed, just like he did on his plane all those years ago." When she noticed Viki's look, she explained, "When he proposed then he had the ring box turned away from me. I think he was just so nervous. But he did it again this time."

"And you turned him down." It was a statement, not a question.

"I was already engaged to Tomas," she replied defiantly.

"Do you love Tomas?" There was too long of a wait for a response for there to be any other answer. "Then why did you stay engaged to him? Even after there were questions about his identity?"

The answer would have to wait, as they were called for boarding. As they waited their turn, Blair's phone rang. She saw that the call was from Tea. That was the last person she wanted to talk to. She hit ignore and switched the phone to airplane mode as she stepped onboard.

They were at cruising altitude when Blair noticed a distant look in Viki's eyes. "What's on your mind?"

Viki looked back at her. "I'm remembering the night before the wedding in that picture and I'm remembering…telling Todd about my father." Blair reached out and placed her hand on the other woman's. "Blair, I have never seen him in so much pain as I did that night. Not even after he came home from Ireland. That is why I can't believe this charge. It goes totally against where he has come from since then."

Blair nodded. "When I told Momma why I was going, she said outright he didn't to it." Her mother's certainty was what she was clinging to, as Viki was clinging to her memory of a long ago night. She tried to reassure Viki with, "There has got to be more here than we know. I just hope Starr has some answers for us."

"We will learn the truth. I just pray that it is a false accusation. I just pray."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Starr was more relieved than she realized when she saw her aunt come through the entrance of the MetroCourt Hotel. But she was stunned to see her mother following behind. Starr's posture grew rigid. She was ready to defend her father for once.

She never got the chance. "He couldn't…" was all Blair was able to say before Starr launched herself at her mother. "Tell us everything."

Starr had gone ahead and booked a suite for her and Viki but after seeing her mother, decided that she could just sleep on the couch and let her mother have the other room. She couldn't go back to Michael's apartment, not with the accusation hanging between them. They made their way up and and once settled, she began to tell them the whole sordid story. The baby switch, the devil's bargain with Johnny about Hope and Cole's death and how, without even realizing it, Todd and Carly had grown close…until all of her father's secrets had come out.

Carly had erupted, Starr explained, because the baby was her best friend, Jason's and how Jason had died not even knowing Daniel was his because of the action of Todd and Heather Webber. Then Carly had begun to realize how much of a fool Todd had played her for. He had befriended her, been her confidant, and all along, he was holding all these terrible secrets.

Starr did not have much information on the rape accusation itself. But she had been there when John had Mirandized him for it. "Mom, Aunt Viki, he had this look of…disbelief as they were cuffing him. I had only seen that look once before." Both Viki and Blair knew what she was talking about. "That's why I don't think he did it."

"Okay, well, it's late now. In the morning I think I'm going to go talk to Todd. I want to hear his side of the story," Viki declared.

"I'm going with you. I need to see him myself," Blair said.

"I think it may be best if you talk to John McBain. You were friends with him and with everything that is going on with Natalie and him, I think it best that I keep my distance for a little bit." With that, Viki headed off to bed.

Blair turned to her daughter. "How are you handling this?" she asked.

"Well, I haven't spoken to Michael since the charge was made. I had to sneak back to the apartment to get a few things." She pointed to a bag in the corner.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry. I know you were falling for him." She hugged her daughter and she leaned against Blair. "I just can't believe your father would…"

A tear slid down Starr's eye. "Neither can I, Mom. Neither can I."

Viki got up early and headed to the police station, determined to see Todd as soon as was possible. She was thankful that she didn't see John there when she walked in. Instead, she saw an attractive older woman with a lilting British accent and an authoritative air. "Excuse me, who would I see about seeing my brother? He's locked up here."

"And your brother would be?" the woman asked.

She took a deep breath before she answered. "Todd Manning. I'm Victoria Lord Davidson." As much as she never liked using her name, she would do so in this instance.

"Mrs. Davidson, if you'll come this way, I'll have a guard fetch him for you. You can wait in here." She was led to the interrogation room.

Viki walked around as she waited, trying to collect her thoughts. She had no idea of how to even approach Todd at this moment. Then the door opened again and she was met with someone who was a stranger, and someone who was not.

It was rare when Viki thought that Todd physically resembled their father. But she knew that there were times that he looked like just a little lost boy. That was the amalgamation that faced her right now.

"What are you doing here?" came his brusque question.

"Starr called and asked me for help."

"Shouldn't have done that." Viki wasn't sure if he meant her or his daughter.

"Well, she did. Did you do what they are accusing you of?" she asked him.

There was a flash in his eyes and Viki knew what Starr had been talking about the night before. He didn't need to answer, but he did. "No."

"I believe you. What happened, then?"

"What always happens. I screwed up." He turned his back to her. "I thought new town, new me. I thought I could get away from all the misery I carried in Llanview. I thought I could escape my past," he said. "I've told you this before, but you never believed me. I'm cursed."

"Todd…" Viki began, her heart breaking.

"Carly was my friend. She didn't look at me and see a monster, even though I warned her countless times." He let out a hideous laugh. "After Blair left me for her assassin, Carly tried to set me up with women she knew. I told her 'Anyone who would have me, doesn't know me. I've done a lot of things that make me unqualified for romance, although some of it can be blamed on genetic'." He turned back to her. "She never heeded my warnings."

Viki didn't know what to say.

"Have you told Kevin? I'm sure he's laughing his ass off about this," Todd snarked.

"The only people who know I'm here are Starr and Blair," Viki informed him.

Todd's head whipped up to look at her. "Why the hell is Blair here?"

Viki was about to open her mouth to answer, but she decided instead to say, "When she comes here, ask her yourself."

Todd shook his head. "I don't want to see her. Tell her to go back to my kidnapper."

"Even when she still loves you?" Viki asked.

A smile crossed his face briefly as he sank into a chair. "I know she still loves me. But we are too corrosive to each other. I would just keep blowing it all to hell."

Viki saw the set way his face was and decided to move on. "Do you have a lawyer?"

"No. My brilliant, if strange, new lawyer dumped me with these new charges," Todd told her.

"The lawyer who represented you this spring, do you want me to call him?"

"Ah, give it a try. I doubt he'd want to defend an already convicted sex offender."

Viki walked up to Todd and kissed the top of his head. He closed his eyes, not wanting to feel the love he knew was coming from her. She knocked on the door and was let out.

Blair knew where to look to find John McBain. She found him in a little diner, coffee in hand, bent over something. When she came closer, she saw an adorable baby that was going to be her nephew. Then she saw the woman she figured was the mother. She guessed it two ways: One was from the description Tea had given her when she had returned to Llanview without her son. The other was, this was the woman John was kissing in the picture Natalie had been sent.

Natalie Buchanan may not have ever been her favorite person, but she felt righteous indignation on her behalf when she saw John with this woman. That was also because, she had been where Nat was with John.

Blair cleared her throat louder than was strictly necessary. It worked at getting John's attention. "Blair, what are you doing here?" Blair raised an eyebrow at him. "Todd."

"Starr called Viki last night and I happened to be there. I need to talk to you…in private please." Blair turned on her heels and left.

John turned back to Sam. She, too, raised an eyebrow at him. "There's a story there, I can tell."

"Ex-wife." John was still a man of few words. "Mine and Todd's, actually."

"And she's here for him?"

"Looks that way." He got up out of the chair. "It's never smart to keep her waiting. Bye, Sam." With that, he headed out. He then led Blair to the Spoon Island Pier. "This is pretty private. What do you want to know?"

"What does this case look like against Todd?" she asked directly.

"I can't divulge anything and you know that," John replied.

Blair figured that would be his answer. "He's not guilty."

"He's done it before," he replied.

"Oh, I know that. And that is why I know, he didn't do this."

"Blair…" John didn't know what to say.

"I know just how cruel Todd can be. But I also know, he has too much self-awareness, too much history, to do what he's been accused of." She walked closer to him. "And you know that too."

"What do you mean?" John got a sinking feeling in his stomach. He thought he knew what she meant.

"That night at Victor's house, when you had the first round of DNA results, you saw his reaction to the thought of 'Todd' and Marty. That should be enough for you to doubt," Blair said.

"I also thought he didn't kill Victor, initially. Then I found the evidence that showed he did that and kidnap Tomas," John replied.

Blair stuck out her jaw defiantly. "This is an entirely different matter. If you really knew Todd, you'd see that."

Blair turned to leave, but John grabbed her arm. "Don't let him fool you. It'll only hurt you in the end." Blair shrugged him off and walked up the stairs. John shook his head as he thought to himself, "Still is a lot there between them."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Blair couldn't let on that John's words had hit a cord with her. So much so, she decided not to go right to the police station. Instead, she headed back to the hotel. When she arrived in the room, Viki was finishing up a conversation on the phone.

"Yes, we'll see you then. Thank you." With that, her call ended.

"Who was that?" Blair asked.

"Todd's attorney from this spring. When I saw him this morning, he told me his lawyer here wouldn't be representing him and I told him I'd contact the one he had for the murder trial," Viki explained. "He said he'd be up by tomorrow morning at the latest."

"How is he?" Blair asked, her voice quiet.

"I can't really say. He seemed…drained when I saw him," Viki said.

"I have to go talk to him," Blair responded, turning towards the door.

"He doesn't want to see you," Viki informed her. When Blair turned back, she went on. "I don't even think he wanted to see me. He didn't sound pleased that Starr called me or that I came and he was adamant that you not come."

Blair's face fell. That, coupled with John's warnings, had her fearing they were all wrong. "What did he say?"

Viki let out a sigh as she said. "You should go back to Tomas, even though you still love him. He doesn't want to hurt you anymore."

Blair didn't know how to respond, because that was just what she had told him in July. She had to sit down, the emotions she was experiencing were threatening to crash in on her. Was this the end of them?

Then she remembered the feeling of his lips on hers, the look he gave her just before going in for that kiss. It was the look of a drowning man being thrown a lifeline. He had brought up their past, all of it. He had brought up their children and what goodness they had brought to his life. Was he really able to throw all that away with one act?

John's warning faded into the background. Blair's memories steeled her. She looked down at her engagement ring. She fingered it and then slid it off, putting it down on the desk. Her decision was made. Her course was set. She turned back to Viki, whose eyes were wide. "Your brother is the most stubborn man I have ever met. I'm going to go see him, even if he doesn't want to see me." With that, she left the suite.

Starr had gotten a cup of coffee at Kelly's but the stares of the other customers had driven her out of the diner. Once again, she was the daughter of a notorious rapist. She had to laugh. This time, she doubted it was even the truth.

She took herself to the Spoon Island Pier, wanting someplace quiet. Unfortunately, she heard voices there.

"You heard Carly the day we went to talk to Mr. Manning about your manuscript. She was glad they hadn't slept together. Maybe he wasn't and he…" TJ Ashford's voice carried from the dock.

"But I was there one day with Starr. She was describing her parent's wedding and how much he loved her mother. He was heartbroken at the thought of her marrying someone else. That doesn't make sense with what he's been accused of," Molly defended.

"Whatever." TJ looked at his watch. "I've got to go. See you later?"

Molly only nodded and her boyfriend left. After he was gone, Molly sat down on the bench. Starr came down the landing and approached her. "I'm sorry that I was eavesdropping, but what you said about my dad…thank you."

Molly jumped but offered Starr a small smile. Then she grew serious. "Sam told me he was convicted of rape years ago."

Starr grimaced, remembering Marty Saybrooke. "Yes, he was, in college. And it's something that has haunted him since then."

"I don't know if I can believe him, but that story about their wedding with the gold balloons, it's something that makes me think it's not true," she offered.

"Thank you," Starr said again. Then she walked back towards the street.

John McBain arrived at the PCPD and caught sight of Anna Devane.

"Anything interesting happen this morning?" he asked.

"Todd Manning's sister came to see him," Anna answered.

"Viki's here?" That was almost as surprising to him as seeing Blair here. "Know anything that was said to him by her?"

"No, but I got the impression she's on his side. She was asking about an arraignment and about getting him an attorney," Anna informed him.

"That's a little surprising considering how he left Llanview this spring. I wasn't there but Natalie told me he got out of town immediately after the acquittal," John said.

"What kind of relationship did they have before his brother, Victor's, death?"

"I really don't know." John scratched his head. "Understand, the only brother I ever saw Viki with was Victor, who everyone in town thought was Todd. And with that Todd, she did defend him all the time, through some truly bad stuff." John was about to go into detail when he heard a familiar voice.

"I don't care what he wants; you bring him up to see me!" Blair yelled at the poor desk sergeant.

"What's the problem here?" John asked, approaching the desk.

"I informed Mr. Manning he had a visitor and he asked me who it was. When I told him it was this woman, he refused to see her, Detective McBain."

"John, I don't care what that jerk wants, I want to see him and if I have to go down there myself, so help me…"

"Okay, Blair, calm down. Take Ms. Cramer into interrogation, I'll got get Mr. Manning." As Blair was led away, John noticed something missing from her finger. He had remembered seeing it earlier, but her engagement ring was now no longer where it was.

John came down and saw Todd lying on the bottom bunk in his cell. He hadn't seen the other man this calm since the day he had arrested him for Victor's murder. "Blair's here to see you," he told him.

"And I told your officer I don't want to see her," Todd replied.

John went and unlocked the cell, cuffs in hand. "I don't think the city can afford her tearing the place apart to get to you," John said. "Come on, Manning, I think you owe her at least an explanation."

"And have her tell me how terrible I am? No thanks."

"This isn't a choice." With that, he got Todd up and put on the handcuffs.

Blair decided to sit and wait for Todd. That was unusual because she was more likely to pace around a room in anticipation. She didn't know what she was going to say even. Then he walked in. John stood next to him but Blair shot him a glare and he back out of the room.

For a moment, Todd looked so much younger. His face was smooth and his scar was much more prominent. He had a beard and his hair was much longer. Then she shook her head and realized she was caught up in a memory. They were back in the interrogation room at the LPD and he had been arrested for the rape of Rebecca Lewis. That, too, was a crime he was not guilty of. Just like this one. But she had to hear him say it. "Did you do it?"

"Yeah, Blair," he began, his voice snide. It was his typical defense mechanism. "I decided to attack a woman, a friend, even though I knew that you would eventually come around and see that you were living in a Delgado colored fantasy world. I decided to rape a woman even though the very thought of that disgusts me and make me think I'm really like my old man."

Blair let out a deep breath. "Okay then. I believe you."

"So now you can go back to your assassin and wait for him, if he ever shows up. I'm still betting he doesn't," Todd told her.

"I'm not going back to Tomas," she said and reached for his scar with her left hand.

If Todd's hands still weren't cuffed, he would have grabbed her hand to stop her, but he couldn't. As she traced his scarred cheek, he closed his eyes. Her touch always did that to him. Then she ran the front of her fingers over the same spot and his eyes opened. They were smooth, with nothing on them. No engagement ring. Their eyes connected but he blinked. He was still looking at her when she nodded very subtly.

"Why?"

"Because I believe in you and you were right about him. And I was a damn fool." She took his head in both her hands. "You were right, back in July. I can't marry one man when I love another. Even if he can drive me mad, I know that one man better than himself. Even if he is Tomas Delgado, I never knew him like that."

"How do you know I won't pull the rug out from under you again?" Todd asked.

"I don't." Then she closed her eyes and when she opened them, she looked deeply into his hazel ones. "But I'm willing to take that leap of faith. Are you willing to do the same?"

Todd merely nodded, fearing he would crack with the emotions he was feeling. Blair brought his lips to hers and kissed him.

Todd Manning had lied to Blair in the past. He had lied to her with words, with actions, even sometimes with emotions. He had never lied with his kiss. It was always in his kiss that she knew the truth about him.

When they parted, she saw it play over his face. He was near tears, fearing that she would leave him, abandon him when it got rough. She saw that and she shook her head and his in her hands. "I'm in you corner, Todd. I am and Starr is and Viki is. We believe in you and we will get to the bottom of this. I swear that to you." She released him and opened the door.

Before she could walk out, he turned to face her and said, "I love you." It was shocking how easily it slipped out of his mouth. They had been apart for nearly a year and he had said it to her a few times in that span. But the year previous, he had such a hard time articulating it and he had almost lost her. Now, he wanted to reassure her as she had just done.

Blair smiled back and in a voice full of emotion, in front of John McBain and the rest of the Port Charles Police Department, she said, "I love you, too."

John watched her go and turned back to Manning. He was shocked to see the other man glowing with love. It was in watching them that John began to have a tiny, nagging doubt.


	5. Chapter 5

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For more on the story of how one of the couples brought into the story here got back together, I highly recommend Cimz's "For Some, a Long Way".

Chapter 5

Blair walked into the lobby of the MetroCourt and caught sight of Carly Jacks. From the distance, she studied the other woman. For all appearances, she certainly was no Marty Saybrooke. She was not one to play the victim card. Despite all the years that had past, Marty still cowered the slightest bit in the presence of Todd and 'Todd'. She still sometimes had that haunted look in her face, even when she tried to cover it.

Not Carly. The other woman went about her day as if nothing had even happened. Blair was debating whether to approach her or not, but in the end, she chose not to. Now was not the time. She was still too raw from having seen Todd. She headed towards the elevator and got on when it arrived.

When she entered the room, no one else was there. She took the emptiness in for a minute, deciding her next move. She had read up a little bit on Carly when Starr had told her she was seeing his son. Married to Sonny Corinthos a number of times, then to Jasper Jacks, whom she was separated from, she had had just as hard-scrabbled of a life as Blair herself. Hell, there were a number of times that, even in interacting with her, Blair saw a bit of herself in the other woman. Todd had called her his friend. Had that been what had attracted him to Carly in the first place?

Selfishly, she didn't want to think of Todd attracted to another woman. But she had berated him in the courtroom in front of Carly, turn down his proposal a few door away in her hotel and slapped him in her presence. She could only guess what Carly must have thought about their relationship.

Blair needed more information about Carly before she proceeded with anything. She looked at a clock. It was late in London, but not obscenely so. She picked up her phone and found the number she was looking for. The other end picked up surprisingly quickly. "Rex, I need you to look into someone for me. Her name is Carly Jacks and she's in Port Charles, New York."

After the call was done and Rex had begrudgingly agreed to investigate her, Blair headed for the bar. She prayed she wouldn't run into Carly there. Getting to the floor, she saw that the coast was clear. Sitting at the bar, she saw only one other man there. It was about Todd's age, blond hair and bright blue eyes looking down a glass of clear liquid. For a moment, she was stunned to see how much he resembled Michael Corinthos. Then she had remembered something Starr had told her. Sonny had adopted Michael when the boy was young. The whole story was rather sordid, but she remembered that Starr had hurried back to Port Charles after Thanksgiving because of his great-grandfather's funeral. Blair figured this was Michael's biological father. Maybe he would have some insight into Carly.

She approached the other man. "Excuse me, but you don't happen to have a son named Michael, do you?"

The other man turned and looked at her. "Is it that obvious?" he asked.

Blair was actually quite surprised how much Michael looked like this man upon closer examination. "Yes it is. But then again, I've had ample opportunity to look at your picture, as my daughter has been sending me shots of him and her for months." Blair held out her hand. "Blair Cramer. Starr Manning is my daughter."

The man shook it. "AJ Quartermaine. Your daughter is…quite feisty. She's made me put both feet into one shoe a number of times."

"It's the Cramer in her," Blair said with a touch of pride.

"I'm guessing you're here for her, then? I read about the accusation her father has against him," AJ inquired.

"Starr needs her Momma and of course I came. I'm guessing that Carly needs her son's support in this time too," Blair replied, shrugging her shoulders.

AJ let out a snort in response.

"You don't have that great of a relationship with Carly, I take it?"

"Oh, you could say that. We fell into bed together and it went downhill since then. Things only got worse after I learned Michael was my son," AJ told her.

Bingo! Blair thought. "That's kind of funny. Todd, Starr's father, we fell into bed and it only cemented a relationship that, while having its ups and downs, has been the best one we've ever had."

AJ eyed her enviously. "What did you do?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

"It's a long story. The shortest one I can think of is, after we slept together, I found out he was heir to $30 million dollars and, instead of being truthful with him, I told him our one night stand had ended up getting me pregnant and we got married immediately. Then he learned about his inheritance and we had a few good months. I even did wind up pregnant. But after I suffered a miscarriage, he learned the pregnancy wasn't as far along as he had thought. The marriage blew up after that." Blair offered him a smirk.

"Sort of the opposite of me. I came from money to start with. But I'm a recovering alcoholic," he offered, holding up his drink. "It's seltzer. Anyway, one night, I fell off the wagon and into bed with Carly. She had a fight with her boyfriend, who was actually her step-father and thought they were over. Then she learned she was pregnant, tried to pass off the child as the boyfriend's and when he started getting suspicious, said it was my brother's. All the while, I was coming out of my booze-fueled fog and remembering being with her, so she drugged me, dumped me in an alley and poured vodka all over me. Then she called my parents who were disappointed and I forgot I was remembering anything. By time I did remember, she had gotten involved with the local mobster, who hung me on a meat hook to convince me to give up my parental rights.

If AJ Quartermaine divulged this much sober, Blair couldn't imagine what he was like with a few drinks, not that she was willing to tip him off the wagon to get her way. It seemed Carly had already pulled that number on him. Then his words hit her. "So, she used your past against you for her own ends."

AJ offered her a wicked smile. "That's our Carly."

"Kind of like using a rapist's past against him," she mused aloud.

AJ caught what she had said. "How's that?"

Blair caught his expression and was about to answer when Viki and Starr approached. She noticed her daughter's weary gaze at her boyfriend's father. "Blair, Todd's attorney just arrived. I told him to meet us here," Viki said.

Blair noticed the man who came off the elevator. He looked around and his gaze fell on AJ. When he came towards them he said, "It's true. The reports of your death have been exaggerated, AJ."

"Scotty Baldwin. Another one to add to the Port Charles rogues' gallery. What brings you back here?" AJ asked.

"I represented Todd Manning this past spring in the trial for the murder of his brother and he seems to have gotten into another spot of trouble, so he hired me back to get him out," the attorney said.

"This is who you have representing Todd?" AJ smirked, imagining the fireworks what were about to go off in Port Charles.

"Is that a problem?" Starr asked in a voice that sounded much like her father's.

"No, not with the histories that I'm sure will play out." AJ got up off the stool. "Ms. Cramer, Starr, this is without a doubt the best man for the job. Good luck to you Scott." Then he turned to Blair. "If you need anything, please feel free to call. I may be of some help."

The women and Baldwin watched him go. Then Blair turned to the lawyer and demanded, "What does he mean by that? Full disclosure, Mr. Baldwin."

They were seated around a table. "Alright, in the interest of full disclosure, I have a bit of history with Carly Jacks' family. I was involved with her mother a number of times and her uncle stole my wife from me." Then he turned to look at each of the women. "But that will not interfere with my defense of Todd. In fact, it can aid me, as I have a measure of experience with the Spencers."

Blair and Starr both looked at Viki. They would take their lead from her. Viki took a deep breath and asked, "Alright, Mr. Baldwin, what is your plan for my brother's defense?"

Scotty flashed them his best smile.


End file.
